He is also frequently referred to by nicknames such as "J2M" and "J6M", but most notably as “ The Man who Tried to Buy the World” which was coined by Jo Johnson in his biography of Messier reflecting on corporate greed and monopolizing the industry.
[3] After taking up the chairmanship of the utility company Compagnie Générale des Eaux in 1994,[4] he oversaw its diversification into the media sector and its 2000 merger with Groupe Canal+ and Seagram (owners of Universal Studios) to form Vivendi Universal.
During his time as CEO of Vivendi, Messier used corporate funds to buy a $17.5 million apartment for his personal use at 515 Park Avenue at 60th Street in New York City, the swank Arthur Zeckendorf development that was home to Senator Jon Corzine for a time.
[9] Messier was put on trial in France in 2011 and was found guilty of misappropriation of company funds and divulging misleading information when he headed Vivendi.
[11] Messier published an autobiography titled j6m.com in 2020, and another two years later called My True Diary, which is about his time at Vivendi.